Centre working on PDS portability: Paswan

With most ration cards linked to Aadhaar, the Centre is now working on enabling PDS beneficiaries to purchase their entitlement of subsidised foodgrain from any fair price shop within the state.

Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Wednesday said once the portability of PDS was implemented, beneficiaries will be free to receive their entitlements from any fair price shop without being bound to a particular outlet.

Paswan was speaking at the first meeting of the chairpersons of food commissions of various states.

The minister said 82% of all ration cards have been seeded with Aadhaar across the country and over 2.95 lakh points of sale (PoS) machines installed at fair price shops to streamline the public distribution system and stop pilferage.

Paswan said the implementation of PDS portability scheme was already under way in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Gujarat and Delhi.

Under the National Food Security Act, the government is providing highly subsidised foodgrain to over 80 crore people. It supplies 5 kg of wheat and rice per person per month at Rs 2-3 per kg.